The holidays breaks are closer than we think, and under normal circumstances we’d all probably be in the process of making plans to visit family and friends to enjoy some special times together. However, as we all know, these are not normal times and we’re all making adjustments to keep ourselves and our family members safe in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
Now that Strelitz International Academy has been in session for more than a month, we’re happy to announce that we have not experienced any COVID cases within our school community thus far. We have worked very hard to keep our students, faculty, and staff well protected and it appears that our efforts have been well worth it.
We’d like to keep this success going, which is why we’re asking our students’ parents to please limit your out-of-area travel this coming holiday season if at all possible. If you already have plans and intend to travel over the holidays, we kindly ask that you notify our School Nurse or the Head of School so we can take the proper precautions recommended by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) upon your student’s return. This may include, but is not limited to, temporarily excluding your child from immediately returning from school after returning.
We will be assessing the potential risk factors involved with your travel, including the mode of transportation used, high risk events you and your child may be exposed to while traveling, and if you are travelling to an area that is considered a “hot spot” for COVID-19 cases.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, the following are examples of activities and situations that can increase your exposure threat:
– Being in an area that is currently experiencing a high level of COVID-19 cases. You can check the CDC COVID-19 tracker [link: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesinlast7days] for domestic travel, or their international Travel Recommendations by Destination [link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html].
– Going to a large social gathering such as a wedding, funeral, or party.
– Attending mass gatherings such as sporting events, concerts, or parades.
– Being in any crowded area such as restaurants, bars, airports, bus and train stations, or movie theaters.
– Traveling on a cruise ship or river boat.
We understand how important family time is, but we also understand these are very trying times for everyone. Please help us keep everyone safe this holiday season by keeping us in the loop of any travel plans.
